


The Playwright's Muse

by ncisduckie



Series: Love Me, Love You [5]
Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: F/M, Gen, KyokoRen Week 2019, Meddling, word challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-31 11:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21445723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncisduckie/pseuds/ncisduckie
Summary: Maria has a plan to get Kyoko and Ren together, no magic needed.
Relationships: Mogami Kyoko & Takarada Maria, Mogami Kyoko/Tsuruga Ren, Tsuruga Ren & Takarada Maria
Series: Love Me, Love You [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1294400
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	The Playwright's Muse

**Author's Note:**

> We’re going to pretend that I posted all of this on time and we’re not going to judge me because I’ve been in school, writing my little tail feathers off.  
The word is “Play” and my song of the day is “All About Us” by He is We. (Ref: all my KyokoRen week fics have a song I used to write to)
> 
> Please Enjoy!

Maria never intended to follow her grandfather into the entertainment industry, but when in Rome, you could only really do as the Romans did. It was inevitable she found herself interested in the intricacies of the industry when her two very best friends were the two very best actors in the entire country...even if the country hadn’t quite realized that Kyoko was simply  _ that _ talented. They were hopelessly in love with each other and now, she finally had a chance to give fate a little nudge. 

Of course, she could have used a spell or two (or three hundred) against the couple in question, but if she knew anything about Kyoko Mogami--it’s that Kyoko knew how to avoid any and all effects of magic. She didn’t even do it intentionally. It was like magic. 

But not the magic that either of the girls practiced in their fleeting free time. 

Magical wards aside, Maria had the most brilliant plan that anyone could have ever conceived. Even her grandfather, the grandmaster of all things romance, smiled as she relayed her plan across the dinner table. He gave her his blessing--a formality she appreciated because it meant her plan was pretty much guaranteed to work. 

All that was left was the actual set-up.

* * *

“Maria-chan, I don’t think I’m the right person for this.” Kyoko followed Maria into the black box theatre the LME acting school used for its formal performances. She had been asked to help with script supervision and revision for a play Maria had written, even though there were certainly more qualified people at LME who could fill the position. 

“Of course you are; you’re the best actress I know.” Maria waved off her friend’s apprehension.

Kyoko chewed on her lip. “Either you don’t know many actresses or you’re completely overestimating my skill.” She sighed. “Besides, acting has nothing to do with storytelling. I just follow the script.” 

Maria looked at Kyoko, unimpressed. “Oh, I’m sure you follow both the script and direction exactly,” she deadpanned.

“Hey--” 

“Unfortunately you’ve forgotten who I am,  _ Mio. Natsu. Momiji _ .” Maria smiled primly as she led Kyoko into the fifth row. “I hear things. Sometimes from my grandfather. Sometimes from other people. But I’ve heard you’re not exactly what I would call the most obedient actress that’s graced LME’s halls.” 

Looking away, Kyoko swallowed hard. Who knew a young girl had such a wide breadth of connections, but then again this was Lory Takarada’s granddaughter. Sneakiness probably ran in her veins. “Those... were different.” 

“Not to mention the fact you helped me with my problem with the  _ Miraculous Language of Angels _ when you first joined LME _ . _ ” She sat down and motioned for Kyoko to join her. “Just do that again with whatever sticks out as strange in  _ my _ show.” 

Kyoko remained standing, looking down at her friend. There was something odd about Maria’s request but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Then again...this was  _ Maria _ she was talking about. When had Maria ever lied to her? And she had a point--this wouldn’t be any different than character creation. She needed to figure out what fits into the context of the story and make sure it all clicked. Then they could smooth out the edges and get Maria’s production up and running. Simple enough. “Fine,” she relented. “But don’t blame me if I can’t live up to your expectations.”

Maria grinned, linking her pinkie with Kyoko’s. “Deal.” 

The girls settled into their seats as the lights dimmed and the curtains rolled back. And they watched as the dress rehearsal for Maria Takarada’s very own production of ‘Blooming’ began.

She couldn’t say that it was the most sophisticated story she’d watched. Of course, that was probably because it was a 14-year-old who wrote it. The most surprising part would have been that Kyoko recognized the lead actress from their time with the mishaps with  _ The Miraculous Language of Angels _ . But beyond that--it was a simple love story done well. Perhaps it could even be considered a comedy of errors but Kyoko didn’t know enough about genre to say it definitively. 

‘Blooming’ centered on the lives of Kokoro, a woman wronged by a childhood friend, and Ryo, the guy she meets at her new job. They didn’t get along at first. But the longer they work together...the more they find themselves drawn together. There’s a lot that tries to keep them apart, from the moody childhood friend returning to win Kokoro’s heart, to a creepy stalker from the next office over. But through the hardships, the worst part was that neither of them ever managed to admit their feelings. Not to each other and not to themselves. 

The climax found Kokoro and Ryo crossing paths in a huge project, working together over long hours and late nights. One night they ended up alone, piled on the ground with empty coffee cups and piles of half-finished paperwork. There was a moment--only a brief one--where they almost kissed. A moment of tension that neither of them knew how to process. So, they pushed apart. Distant. Unwilling to talk. Kokoro requested a team change. More distance. 

Ryo refuses to accept it. He waits outside her office, the one she transferred into, on his knees with a bunch of roses and a prepared speech about love finding the right people in the worst possible places. Because who really looks for love in the workplace? It breaks a million and one rules in the company policy. He was willing to risk it all if she was willing to be with him. 

The curtain fell to the swell of royalty-free music as Kokoro and Ryo fell into a dramatic embrace. Kyoko clapped politely as the cast bowed. She didn’t dare look at Maria, though she could feel her stare as the actors filed off stage at the director’s call. “I liked it,” she said simply, still watching the empty stage. It wasn’t a bad show. But Kyoko also learned she was wrong: Maria had lied to her. She couldn’t even be mad, the effort was worth the Takarada name. 

Maria sighed, resisting the urge to pull her face off. "Did you notice anything...  _ Particularly interesting _ about the plot?” She poked Kyoko’s side. “Anything... At all?" 

Kyoko hesitated, looking to her friend’s pleading face. It was devastatingly obvious the answer the young girl was looking for after watching the spectacle of a play. “I--

“I noticed that you had a plot inaccuracy,” a voice called smoothly over the empty sea of seats. “That’s not at all how I asked Kyoko out.” He laughed. “Sorry. Not how Ryo asked Kokoro out.” 

The girls flinched at the very familiar voice. Kyoko’s jaw dropped and Maria turned, stunned to find not only her grandfather but also Tsuruga Ren filing in from the back of the house. They must have slipped in sometime after the lights went down, something Maria never anticipated. "Excuse me?" 

"I tried waiting until Valentine's Day; it's a significant holiday, especially back home. But I didn't have the willpower that Ryo had." Ren chuckled as he pulled the girls from their row into the aisle. He kept one arm strung around Kyoko’s shoulder, like it was nothing. "One night after shooting, we were having dinner with Yashiro-san and I got so flustered and just blurted it out: ‘ _ Kyoko-chan, I've been in love with you since I met you. Will you please go out with me?’” _

"WHAT?!" Maria whipped her head between the actors, unbelieving. There was no...it wasn’t possible. She...she would have known. Her grandfather would have told her. 

Kyoko’s face flushed a brilliant shade of red, but managed to maintain a calm face. She sighed dramatically. "He overestimates how flustered he was; he was completely composed and almost suave when he asked.” She laughed, finally looking up to Ren. “Out of the three of us, I think Yashiro-san was the most flustered."

He shrugged and smiled. "I  _ felt _ that flustered. Yashiro was just surprised I deviated from the plan." 

"You flustered?” She rolled her eyes. “I'll believe it when I see it."

Maria’s jaw dropped. There was no way it should have been true. Except when she looked at her friends, she knew. They weren’t only together--they’ve been together (and happy) for quite some time. “I--” 

“Will now be one of the keepers of the biggest secret at LME. There’s less than ten people who know about these two,” President Takarada interjected smoothly, breaking his amused silence. Maria’s face when Ren broke the truth was one of the funniest things he’s seen these days. There’s so much drama with secret relationships, he’d forgotten about the humor. 

“You  _ knew _ ?” Maria cried, turning her disbelief onto her grandfather. “And you let me go through with all of this?” She puffed her cheeks out and curled her hands into fists. “All the stress! All the planning! All the  _ rewrites _ ! All of this could have been  _ avoided _ !” 

Lory smiled, crossing to crouch in front of her. “But do you regret it? Doing all this work?” 

“What...what do you mean?” 

“If you were to go back in time with the knowledge Ren and I were already together, would you have not written the play?” Kyoko nudged Maria’s toe. “Or will you appreciate the experience for what it was--an introduction to playwriting?” 

“I had a lot of fun,” Maria admitted to her toes, warmth blossoming across her cheeks. Even the news of their relationship--as bewildering as it was--couldn’t take the experience away with her. She would do it again in a heartbeat. 

Kyoko smiled, ruffling Maria’s bangs. “Then there you go.” She curled an arm around her shoulders. “So, no hard feelings?”

Maria whipped out of the embrace, her face still red. “I’m still mad at you two! You’re my best friends and never thought to tell me!”

Correction: they  _ had _ thought to tell her but the President advised them not to. How were they supposed to trick the general public that they were both unattached if they couldn't even trick those closest to them? As much as they disagreed, both Ren and Kyoko followed the advice to a T. However, Maria's play made it obvious that they weren't fooling anyone. They’d have to go public sooner or later. Public about everything. 

Kyoko hated the secrets most of all. She nudged Lory aside and took his place in front of Maria, dropping to her knees. “How about we make it up to you?” 

Ren sighed, turning to President Takarada. “Why do I feel like I’m about to be dragged to an occult store?” He stage-whispered. Lory laughed and pretended he didn't know exactly what was coming. Maria was, above all things, his granddaughter. 

“Oh, hush.” Kyoko waved Ren's hesitation away and met Maria's eyes with a smile. “What do you say, Maria-chan?” 

“Can I decide how you make it up to me?” 

They looked at each other nervously. Agreeing would either bind them into some impossible pact or force them into something neither of them would want to do. It was hard to say, given her vastly selection of hobbies. But what else could they do? After all the hard work she put into ‘Blossom,’ she deserved it.   


“Of course.” They answered in unison

Maria thought for only a moment. There were so many things she could force them to do--but she knew exactly what she wanted, no, needed them to do. “You two have to star in my first production as a pro. Play, musical, commercial, show, movie, whatever.” She crossed her arms defiantly. “You have to do it.” 

Kyoko smiled but smothered the expression in an exaggerated frown as she tapped her chin. “I don’t know... I think we need to talk to Yashiro-san about what we’re doing in ten years... We might be all booked then.” 

“Kyoko!” 

Maria laughed as Ren nudged his girlfriend's side and gave her a mock-stern look. He shook his head fondly and knelt beside Kyoko, taking Maria's hands in his. “It’ll be our pleasure, Maria-chan.” 

**~FIN~**


End file.
